The Simple Life: Meetings
by samus18
Summary: Wanida finally decides to introduce Ben to her parents. More one-shots of my OC's.


**A/N**: I've become surprisingly fond of this couple since writing them. Pretty sure that's never happened with my OC's before. Anyway this is just another one-shot, sweet and simple. I find the lives of ordinary alien civilians just as interesting as the drama we see in the series. This was a fun way to kill time at the dealership. :D

(FYI I've never been to New York City so if I get some stuff about it wrong - sorry!)

Meetings

'_Oh yeah I tell you somethin'_

_I think you'll understand_

_When I say that somethin'_

_I want to hold your hand…'_

Wanida's hand hovered over the computer as she made to change the radio station.

She wasn't a huge fan of the Beatles, though of course many native Earthlings were. When she was little, she used to pretend to like them in order to fit in until her parents told her that there were in fact many humans who weren't fans. Her childish notions had her believing that a love for The Beatles was something all humans shared in common.

She always looked back on the memory with amusement, but presently the expression on her human guise was anything but amused. Her brows furrowed slightly and she stared at the iTunes window on her screen.

'_I want to hold your hand…'_

Her throat constrictedand she finally closed the window.  
Setting her pen down, she gave up any and all chance of studying and moved from her desk to the bedroom. It wasn't often that she felt this listless, but then it wasn't exactly an orthodox life she was leading.

She and Ben, her human co-worker, had been seeing each other for almost a year.  
As she stared up at the ceiling, her mind couldn't help but trace over the things that usually took place between couples at the one-year mark. She still hadn't introduced him to her parents, though many times she'd wanted to. There just didn't seem to be much point in the long run, because in the long run she and he...

She sighed and idly clenched her hand into a fist, closing her fingers and extending them out again.  
She brought her hand to her face. From the center of her palm, a vertical opening appeared framed in small, claw-like obtrusions; the portal to Alcidian bonding.

She knew that she could never bond with Ben the way she bonded with other Alcidians. To do so would be very dangerous for him.  
It didn't stop her from wishing, though.

There were times when she wondered what it would be like if she were human or if Ben was an Alcidian, anything that lessened the vast barrier between them. It would solve all of her problems. But she loved Ben for who he was on the inside, not for what he was on the outside. It didn't matter if Ben was human, Alcidian, or any other alien - she would have fallen in love with him regardless.  
He felt the same about her. Besides having told her himself, he'd more than proven it when he'd revealed his knowledge about her species. It hadn't changed his feelings for her.

Things weren't always easy, though.

She'd decided long ago that it was ok if she never got to bond with him the way Alcidians bonded with each other.  
Sitting back up, she decided that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to introduce him to her parents. Humans were at least as sociable as Alcidians; it was the proper thing to do. She made up her mind that it didn't matter that the two of them were different, that even if they couldn't establish a link, they still cared for each other and her parents deserved to know who this man was. They'd pressed her about it before.

It hadn't always been that way, in fact her parents believed that her attraction to Ben was nothing more than a youthful crush that would fade away (despite the fact that Wanida was out of her high school years.) When it became more obvious that their daughter was serious about this human man, they seemed to have taken it remarkably well.  
It was almost too good to be true.

* * *

The next day during lunch break at work, she bravely confronted Ben about her idea.  
It'd really been his idea first, but she hadn't mustered up the courage to agree with it until now.

"I think it's finally time you met my parents," she said as they sat at a remote table. She of course didn't prefer to isolate herself, but the nature of her relationship with Ben sometimes made it necessary.

"It's about time!" He cheerfully unwrapped a sandwich. "Been wanting to meet your folks for a while."

Ben had known for some time that his girlfriend was an Alcidian. In fact he'd known about the presence of aliens on Earth ever since the Ixion invasion.

"Well, I think it's the right time." She gingerly removed a container of Alcidian food from her satchel. "Of course with regards to dinner you might have to BYOB..."

This earned a hearty laugh from him. "Something tells me your folks will understand."

She laughed, too. "This might be the only instance in which a girl brought her boyfriend over and he didn't have to worry about what her parents were cooking."

"That gets me to wondering," he said after finishing a bite, "is there anything Alcidians eat besides that pale mush?"

She surprised him with a long, bubbly laugh. Apparently his description of Alcidian cuisine was hilarious.  
She tried composing herself to answer his question, but fell into another fit of giggles. He couldn't help but join in. "Think I could use that on your parents?"

"Ben..." She took a breath and leaned back in her seat. "You kill me..."

"I've been thinking," he started, "I know your people are no big fans of pizza and whatnot, but who's to say there's not something out there you'd like?"

"Some kind of human food you mean?"

"Yeah."

"I seriously doubt it."

"Hmm." He sipped his drink. "Sounds like a fun challenge to me."

She stared at him. "Now _Ben..._" She knew that gleam in his eye all too well. By hinting that it was impossible, she'd set him on the path to making _absolutely_ _sure _it wasn't.

He chuckled and glanced at the TV. "We won't talk about it then."

"No, you'll just do it."

She promised to set a day for him to come to her parents' place, and soon after they parted ways to commence the second half of their shift.

Wanida had been looking forward to this shift for some time. She was commissioned to be on standby as an observer while the aquarium's veterinary staff treated an injured Adelie penguin.  
It was exciting and nerve-racking, and all part of what she would be exposed to as an aspiring marine biologist.

* * *

"How did the shift go?" Jen asked.

They were at the park. It'd been a long but enlightening day, and Wanida was glad to be relaxing with her friends.

"It was fascinating! I didn't get to do anything hands-on, but it was amazing the way they worked on that penguin. Poor thing." She told her friends how the penguin got injured in the first place, about her being recommended to witness the procedure to repair the animal's wound.

"Sounds grisly," said Greg. "You sure this is the kinda work you wanna head in?" To people who didn't know him, Greg sometimes came off as negative.

"I'm pretty sure, Greg," Wanida replied. She never took offense at her friends' careful remarks. Greg was the unspoken 'voice of reason' among the three of them. They knew that his seemingly negative remarks were simply the cautious approach with which he handled things.

Greg shrugged and acquiesced, "Well, it's bound to be interestin' I'll give ya that."

"They won't end up transferring you out of the city, will they?" Jen asked.

"No _way_," Wanida assured her, "they wanna keep you in the city, believe me!"

They sat in silence for a while, soaking in the dusky atmosphere. The sun had disappeared behind the skyscrapers and the last few rays that escaped were touching the treetops. There was a steady breeze that ruffled the leaves and mingled with the din of civilization.

Wanida's mind had been dwelling heavily on how Ben's introduction to her parents would go. She hadn't spoken to her parents about it yet. While it wasn't the easiest topic of conversation among friends and family, it wasn't her style to keep things inside if it could be helped.  
Besides, everyone she knew was aware of her relationship with Ben.  
And, being an Alcidian, she knew exactly how they felt about it.

Taking a shallow breath, she folded her arms and announced, "I've decided to introduce Ben to my parents, by the way."

Greg and Jen stared at her.

She stared back. "I know what you're thinking. _Really_, I do. But honestly, I think it'll help break the ice about this whole thing."

Jen spoke up first, "But your parents will think you're serious about him!"

Wanida almost said, "_I am_," but bit her tongue. There was no need to confirm it. She wasn't at ease admitting it out loud and besides they undoubtedly already knew this. Trying a different approach, she said, "Well what would you do if you were me? Just break it off and forget the whole thing ever happened?"

They were silent. Alcidians understood the depth of emotional bonding more than anyone, and although Wanida couldn't exchange her essence with Ben, she was clearly emotionally attached to him anyway. To ask her to forget about someone who'd become very important to her was asking a lot.  
Still, they weren't sure how to react to this unprecedented connection she'd made with the human man.

"Guess you'll just have ta ride this thing out to the bitter end..." Greg said at last.

"Greg might be right," Jen added, "but...I guess the only thing we can do is give you our support." She placed her hand on Wanida's shoulder. "Even if we don't understand why you had to choose a human, we'll stick by your side through this whole thing."

Wanida let loose a sigh of relief and gratitude. She faced her friends and managed a small smile. "Thanks you guys. That means a lot to me."

* * *

She got off the phone with her parents.

They seemed pleased when she told them that she'd like to introduce them to Ben. She of course had told them some time ago that Ben knew they weren't human. It was a miracle that he even knew of the existence of aliens on Earth. It was rare that any human outside of MIB was privy to such knowledge, but then it was a big planet - maybe there were more human civilians out there aware of it than it seemed. One never knew.

She hadn't realized how nervous she'd been about the upcoming meeting until now.  
Before she'd spoken to her parents, she was anticipating one negative outcome after the next. But having gotten off the phone, she wondered what would happen if she actually entertained the notion of things going _well_.

'What's gotten into you?' She thought to herself. 'You're not usually this apprehensive, this might actually turn out great!' She gave herself a hall pass on the matter, reminding herself for the hundredth time that it was perfectly understandable that she'd be nervous. It wasn't as if she were introducing her parents to an Alcidian male.

She hoped it would go well for Ben, too.  
That was another reason that it was necessary for both parties to know the truth: dinner would have been nearly impossible to get past without it. But since the truth was out in the open, it took a lot of the pressure off. Later that day when she'd spoken to Ben, he reminded her that he'd bring dinner with him so there was no need to worry about the difference in their dietary needs.

He sensed the apprehension in her voice because he did everything he could to encourage her about the dinner date with her parents.  
She appreciated his sympathy and tried to have a positive outlook on the whole thing.

* * *

Two nights later found Wanida and Ben standing outside the door to her parents' apartment.

It was a nice place as far as apartments went; not upscale, but not run-down. There was a small balcony on the second floor enclosed in an elegant, black curved railing. Two flower pots sat on the floor of the balcony.

"Your parents must be nice folks," Ben commented as he took in the surroundings.

She noted that he seemed a little nervous himself now that the moment had arrived. She smiled surreptitiously and locked her arm through his. "They're the kindest people you'll ever meet."

The door opened to reveal two humans - rather, two aliens in human guise.

Wanida's mother was dressed as an older woman with short, wavy brunette hair. She was dressed elegantly for the occasion and greeted Ben with a smile. Her father donned the appearance of a human male with graying blonde hair and a slightly overweight build. He wore a plaid green shirt and khaki trousers.

Wanida and her parents exchanged lively greetings, but not before exchanging their essence Alcidian-fashion. Ben, to his credit, smiled patiently as they mingled.

"Now," the mother said, breaking loose from her family. She stepped up and reached out a hand. "You're Ben! I'm Angela Daines. Wanida's told us a lot about you. Glad to find out you're real!"

Ben laughed and grasped her hand. Wanida caught the slightest twitch in his arm as he did so.  
She'd told him all about Alcidian handshakes. She'd explained how they worked and how it was a trait shared strictly among Alcidians. Of course this meant enlightening him about the dangers that Alcidian bonding posed to humans.

"Has that ever happened?" He had asked.

"Only once, as far as I know. There was an incident years ago...a crazy Alcidian was being chased by the MIB and actually created a link with one of their agents by giving him a '_handshake_.'

He'd whistled. "_Crazy's_ the word."

Presently, he was shaking hands with Wanida's father who introduced himself as Sam Daines. She observed the exchange with interest, silently commending Ben for partaking in a normal human handshake with her parents. She had, of course, assured him that Alcidian handshakes were only dangerous if the bonding portal was initiated - but it had to be nerve-racking for him even so.

Ben handed Mrs. Daines a box, explaining that it was a gift and he hoped that he had done his homework.

"Why, you kind young man," Mrs. Daines beamed. "Whatever could this be?" She opened the box and was more than a little surprised to find a box of small, round objects that looked like mounds of dough. It was something of an Alcidian dessert and he'd gotten Wanida's help in making it.

"I'll be..." She marveled. "They look delicious! However did you learn to make these? What am I saying? Wanida must have helped you!"

"Guilty," he said with a grin.

They headed into the dining room where Ben was encouraged to make himself at home. He looked around at the elegantly decorated room with interest.

"It's a nice place you folks have here."

"Thank you," Mrs. Daines said as she set down a beverage. "We've enjoyed this cozy little place for, uh...years."

"Mom, Ben knows about Alcidians on Earth, remember?" Wanida helped her mother get the table ready.  
Even though Alcidians shared their meals out of a single bowl, they still practiced dinnertime etiquette.

"Oh that's right, forgive me," Mrs. Daines chuckled. "I'm sorry Ben, it's rare that humans are aware of our existence. MIB's an exception of course, but that's mandatory."

Mr. Daines entered the room and sat down opposite Ben. "So, Ben," he started, "I'm awfully curious about how you came to know about the presence of aliens on Earth without attracting the attention of MIB headquarters."

Ben set down his cup and chuckled. "I'm glad you mentioned it, 'cause it's an interesting story!"

Ben relayed the story about the incident following the Ixion invasion years ago.  
Wanida, having heard the story before, watched the human faces of her parents as they became more and more transfixed with Ben's tale. It was all she could do not to smile. Their interest was coming from more than just the unique circumstances; it was the way Ben told it that partly had them captivated.

"Now my cousin Danny's got a small television on the _Swordfish_, and he sat there the whole time with his eyes glued to it like nothing. Can't say I blame him, but I'm not one for local news - never have been. My parents _still _get on me about keeping up with current events." This earned a chuckle from the Daines. "Anyway it was the weirdest thing - after things finally cooled down, he came walking out of his quarters with the strangest look on his face. It was like..." He shook his head. Words came so naturally to him, yet he couldn't summon a description of how his brother looked after he'd been neuralized.

"We know what you mean," Mr. Daines said, staring down at his folded hands. "It's an unfortunate solution, but MIB has their rules. Very strict they are about 'em, too."

"I always said it was a shame that more humans weren't like Ben," Wanida put in with a fond look toward him. "If there were, then aliens on Earth wouldn't have to hide themselves from the world."

"Sad but true indeed," Mrs. Daines said. "But on to a less dismal topic, I'd like to know exactly what Wanida's told you about our people." She fixed Ben with a playful, searching look.

"I can tell you straight out what she's told me," Ben agreed with a calm smile. "First of all," he raised his hands up, "she's told me all about the Alcidian handshakes."

Everyone laughed.

"That had to be the first thing I told him, naturally!" Wanida said.

"Yeah and that interesting essence-sharing your people engage in."

Mr. Daines nodded. "It's a trademark of our people."

The evening seemed to pass by fast.  
Wanida's parents seemed to enjoy Ben's company almost as much as their daughter did. They'd covered a lot of topics, from Alcidian handshakes to other interesting facets of their customs.  
Ben was surprised to learn that there was no ocean on their homeworld of Alcidia. He wondered, too, what prompted the Alcidian people to leave their planet and seek out refuge on Earth in the first place.

"Our people are very inquisitive," Mrs. Daines said.

Mr. Daines nodded. "Many of us enjoy visiting other planets, provided the natives are amiable. Not just for social reasons; scientific study is a big part of it. Earth's first Alcidian visitor arrived on Earth in the late 70's. Earth's reputation was growing at quite a rate, and it naturally drew our attention."

"That's right," Mrs. Daines put in, "and soon, scientific study was replaced with more leisurely visits. Sam and I have been on Earth for thirty-seven years. We came as part of a cultural exchange program and eventually decided that we didn't want to leave." She took her husband's hand.

"I'm sure glad to hear that, ma'am," Ben said.

She nodded. "Moving here permanently was quite a process, but we made do."

Wanida was pleased with this peaceful exchange between Ben and her parents. All in all, it had been a wonderful evening and she said a silent prayer of thanks that it had gone so well.  
She planned on staying at her parents' place for the better part of the evening.  
Ben had an early shift tomorrow and wished them all a good night. He thanked the Daines's for having him over and gave Wanida an affectionate embrace before leaving. She stood on the frame of her parents' doorway, waving him goodbye.

When she closed the door and made her way back to the living room, she was met with the last surprise of the evening.

"Wanida," her mother said, sitting beside her father, "we need to talk."

She was instantly on the alert.  
"Ok..." She moved to sit down in a chair opposite her parents. She tried fighting back the feeling that something unpleasant was about to happen. She swallowed. "About what?"

"Ben is a charming human," Mrs. Daines began, "we can understand why you like him."

'_Love_,' Wanida mentally corrected, but kept her face straight.

"But we're concerned," her mother finished.

Wanida nodded slowly. "Because he's human." She figured there was no point in darting around the subject - the '_elephant in the room'_ as some humans would put it.

"We're not downing on Ben," Mr. Daines put in, scooting to the edge of his seat. "We don't have anything against him personally, but we're worried that you might not understand the commitment you'd be making if you stayed with him."

"I already know what you're thinking," she said, "because I've already thought about it myself. A _hundred_ times over." Her voice cracked, and it was her turn to lean in. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Would it be so bad if I spent the rest of my life unable to bond with my partner? Would it be so terrible if we never had children? Is all of that worth giving up the best man I've ever met?"

"Has he seen you outside of your human form?" Mrs. Daines asked.

"Yes, he _has!_" She fixed them with a desperate, imploring gaze. "...I showed him where I knew no one else would see us."  
Silence dominated the room for a painful minute. She shook her head. "He doesn't care what I look like. He's not with me because of how I look." Her throat became tight and she continued, "I know I'll never be able to connect with him the way we do, but if I could...I know that his would be the most magnificent soul I've ever felt..." She let the rest hang in the air.

Her parents were silent. They'd already had qualms about bringing this up to their daughter in the first place, and it seemed their reservations were justified.  
Wanida was, by all appearance, thoroughly dedicated to Ben.

Mrs. Daines sighed. "Well alright, honey...If this is what you truly want."

"I'm getting tired," she announced, raising herself from the seat. "I need to go home and rest. I've got a long shift tomorrow."

* * *

She was distraught.

The evening had gone so well. Her parents were kind to Ben and seemed to like him. Ben, in turn, had been open and accepting toward her parents.  
The evening really had turned out better than she would have dared to hope...until her parents spoke after Ben left.

She was in a daze all the way home.  
The city's atmosphere, which had seemed so hopeful hours ago, now felt oppressive and unwelcoming. Lights from passing cars pierced her vision and the dull throb of honking horns, voices, and engines filtered through her senses like a stifling fume. Nothing looked the same; nothing felt safe.

She stepped off the bus and trudged up the stairs to her apartment. Mechanically she unlocked her door, turned on the light and set her bag down. Too tired, even, to take off her human guise, she fell back on her bed.

As she lay there, she wondered how the evening could have gone so well and then taken a turn for the worse.  
Had it truly been that bad? She knew her parents were concerned about her dating Ben...that was no surprise. Why, then, did the evening's conclusion feel like such a failure?  
Perhaps because the meeting had gone so well, it lured her into a false sense of hope...that perhaps her parents would finally accept Ben and not bring up mention of their differences again.

But no, the evening had gone well and _still _they were against her relationship with him. Her mother's final words did little to comfort her.

She looked at the picture frame sitting on her bedside table. She reached out and took it. It was a picture of her and Ben at the boardwalk. They'd asked a passing tourist to take it. Ben's arm was wrapped around her shoulder.  
His eyes smiled out at her from the picture as if he were assuring her that things would turn out alright.

Setting the frame down beside her, she let out a heavy sigh and allowed the tears to flow.


End file.
